When the Unicode Consortium presented a huge new batch of emoticons last year, they focused on diversifying the available icons to squash criticism over their lack thereof. But while there are already more available skin tones and inclusive glyphs, some say they still need to add more, particularly when it comes to female representation. A group of Google employees have submitted a proposal to the consortium to include 13 new emojis to “highlight the diversity of women’s careers.”
Rachel Been, Agustin Fonts, Nicole Bleuel, and Mark Davis, the latter being co-founder and president of the Unicode Consortium, have asked the group to standardize their proposal because women are statistically the heaviest users of emoticons and having these emoticons available will actually empower this segment. The proposed 13 emoticons “better reflect the pivotal roles women play in the world.” They even go so far as suggesting that emojis should actually also represent those who don’t identify as any particular gender in order to create a broader spectrum.
The proposal includes female emoji categories specifically in business, health care, science, education (graduate), technology, industry (factory/metallurgical worker, high-tech factory/assembly line worker, mechanic/repair person), farming, food service, education (professor), and music. But while it is geared towards female representation, there is also room for the categories to be added for men.
Since this is still just a proposal of course, there is no guarantee that it will be adapted by the Unicode Consortium. Or it may be approved but there will probably be major revisions later on. And with the Unicode President himself backing this up, we might see some version of it later this year or next year.
VIA: Buzzfeed
